THE ENCHANTED PRINCESSES
In the days of King Bambita, his two noble daughters oppressed the people, laying heavy taxes on them without the king’s knowledge. The people cursed them, and the curses did their work. The princesses vanished. The king sent some of his servants to look for the princesses. But the servants came back empty-handed. None of them had been able to find the princesses.
Now, a captain and a lieutenant heard of the king’s trouble. So the lieutenant went to the king, and “I see,” says he, “that you are in trouble. I will go and look for the princesses.”
“How much do you want for it?” asked the king.
“Twenty pounds.”
The king agreed, and gave him the money. “If you find them,” said he, “half of my kingdom is yours.”
The lieutenant and the captain had plenty of money now, so they went to an inn and passed the time drinking. On the third day the captain said: “To-day I will go to the king. If he gave you twenty pounds, he is certain to give me more.”
So he went to the king and said: “I see that your majesty is in trouble. I should like to go and look for the princesses.”